federal loans

I am so confused. I have been reading old post but I am sorry I am at a complete loss. I am going to Uni of Manchester in the fall. I filled out my fasfa for the graduate loan online. I know the school is listed but overseas schools do not download the info...

so what do I do? Do I need to send the sar report that they send me to Manchster or is there something else i send to them? i feel like a dummy.

get your 8-page SAR from the FAFSA people (call them and ask them to send it to you if you don't have it already.)

Send that SAR and your lender's school certification form to the university- the uni person in charge of Stafford loans will sign it and send the paperwork back to your lender.

Also, find out exactly who is responsible for handling Stafford loans at Manchester Uni, and keep contacting them as you go through the process so you can keep tabs on what's happening with your paperwork.

i feel like a dummy.

At least we can feel like dummies together. I'm about to do the same thing but at a different uni! I wanted to avoid getting a loan but it looks like I'm going to have to. The process just seems so scary and overwhelming. When I was an undergrad 20 years ago, I didn't blink... maybe it's that now I understand the financial implications of carrying a $20K loan.

Good luck with yours!

Send that SAR and your lender's school certification form to the university- the uni person in charge of Stafford loans will sign it and send the paperwork back to your lender.

thanks for replying! umm do i need to find a lender's school certification form if i just want to 20.5k from the federal loan?? 

thanks again!

Send that SAR and your lender's school certification form to the university- the uni person in charge of Stafford loans will sign it and send the paperwork back to your lender.
thanks for replying! umm do i need to find a lender's school certification form if i just want to 20.5k from the federal loan?? 

thanks again!

yes, you do- in fact the school certification form is only relevant to the federal (stafford) loan.  if you don't know where to find one, call your lender.

Don't feel stupid.  I'm so confused with FAFSA.  My mom is filling it out because she has the tax returns, bank statements, etc., and it would just be easier to fill it out state-side, as I'm already at uni right now.  I'm applying for loans for my second and third year of uni here, as I'm in my first year.  I got a few scholarships for my first year of study from my highschool, which is helping me out for the first year.

I absolutely hate the lack of scholarship availability for US students here.  Right after I got into the uni, they posted a new scholarship on the international website -- £3,000 for three years off the tuition price, which is basically a year free.  Turns out that it was introduced because of an increase in American interest (uh, me, and the 0 other American full time students I've seen here in the undergraduate programmes!) and it's only available for people who haven't yet started.  The only scholarships that were available when I applied were for refugees and people from Asia.

Frustrating.

However, the international office is somewhat sympathetic to this and are very good with the FAFSA information, etc.  If you need any advice/help from your Uni, just email the Univeristy of Manchester international department (or if you need to, call them).  At least in Nottingham they're very quick with replies and useful information.  Should be the same case at Manchester.

Don't mean to take over this thread, but I am starting the loan app process as well and am VERY confused. I would like to apply for a Perkins Loan in addition to the Stafford- how do I do this?

Don't mean to take over this thread, but I am starting the loan app process as well and am VERY confused. I would like to apply for a Perkins Loan in addition to the Stafford- how do I do this?

you can't- at least not if you're going to an overseas school.  I'm pretty sure that only Stafford and PLUS loans can be used outside of the US.

you can't- at least not if you're going to an overseas school.  I'm pretty sure that only Stafford and PLUS loans can be used outside of the US.

Pretty sure it's the same as well.

Now, when I went to a seminar at my high school on funding university education, I asked a question "Does FAFSA give loans to students studying overseas?" and the guy answered, "Absolutely not.  Sorry."  What?  Major confusion.  I then visited the University of Nottingham international students' website, only to find that they have a FAFSA code.  I then asked a professor that I've worked for in Belfast about it (she's American) and she said that I can apply for Stafford and PLUS loans, and that the guy doing the presentation (on behalf of FAFSA, no less!) was completley incorrect.

Be sure to check with your school to make sure they have a FAFSA code -- if you are confused, send an email or call somebody in the international department.  In most cases they are more than willing to help.